Sterile-Field Audio Housing With Sealed Speaker Enclosure

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Solution Overview

Problem

Medical devices used in sterile fields, such as operating rooms, face challenges in audio output due to small openings or crevices that make disinfection difficult, as they accumulate material and hinder effective cleaning.

Innovation Solution

A medical device with a housing, speaker cover, and speaker enclosure that fluidically seals the interior space from the external environment, using a speaker frame or audio exciter to provide audio output without openings for fluid ingress, ensuring effective disinfection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If small openings or grates are provided for speaker audio output, then audio output function is enabled, but material accumulates in openings making disinfection difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaudio output functionVSAvoiddisinfection difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The speaker opening is extracted from the housing structure and relocated to the speaker cover, which can be removed. This allows the housing to remain closed and disinfectable while the speaker cover with openings can be separately cleaned or replaced.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The speaker cover is designed to be removable and replaceable, transforming from a static closed structure to a dynamic system where the cover can be taken off for cleaning or replacement, enabling easy maintenance without compromising the sealed housing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the housing is fluidically sealed to prevent fluid ingress, then electrical components are protected from contamination, but audio output to external environment is blocked

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection from fluid ingressVSAvoidaudio output function

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The device is segmented into a sealed housing containing electrical components and a separate speaker cover with openings. This segmentation allows the housing to remain fluidically sealed for protection while the speaker cover provides audio output pathways to the external environment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The speaker cover acts as an intermediary element between the sealed housing interior and the external environment. It provides the necessary openings for audio output while the housing itself remains sealed, mediating between the conflicting requirements of sealing and audio output.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If the speaker cover is removed for cleaning, then disinfection access is improved, but risk of fluid ingress increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisinfection accessVSAvoidfluid ingress risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The speaker cover is designed to be pre-removed or pre-cleanable without compromising the sealed housing. The housing maintains its sealed state even when the cover is removed, allowing cleaning access while preventing fluid ingress through the housing structure itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12513442B2Medical device with audio output for use in a sterile field

Publication Date: 2025.12.30 BECTON DICKINSON & CO

AI summary

A medical device with audio output for use in a sterile field may include a housing and an audio output device. The housing may include an interior surface and an exterior surface, the interior surface may define an interior space of the housing including the audio output device, and the interior space of the housing may be fluidically sealed from an external environment by the housing. The audio output device may include a speaker and/or an audio exciter.